More than two-thirds of children in poverty in the UK are in working families, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. This is more than ever before in figures going back 20 years – up from 43% in 1996-97 to the current 67%. There are now four million children in poverty, the highest since the 2008 financial crash. Read more
Thousands of state schools across England are segregated along ethnic or social grounds, according to research. More than a quarter of primary and four in 10 secondary schools are ethnically divided, the social integration charity, The Challenge, found. It says almost a third of primary and a quarter of secondary schools are segregated along socio-economic lines. Read more
Trust between married couples is typically stronger than between those who cohabit, new research commissioned by Christian relationship counsellors has found. The study for Marriage Care – as well as Relate and Relationships Scotland – concluded mistrust and doubt levels are two and a half times higher among unmarried couples who live together. Read more
Students in religious countries are likely to perform worse in science and maths than their more agnostic or atheist counterparts, new research has found. ‘Countries that are more religious score lower in educational performance,’ the study’s co-author, Professor Gijsbert Stoet, told The Independent. As a result he advised that ‘governments might be able to raise educational standards and so standards of living by keeping religion out of schools and out of educational policy-making.’ Read more